A nuclear accident in the UK or Europe could significantly contaminate food in Ireland with radiation, leading to health implications and an economic cost of €4 billion, the Government was told shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Senior officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) briefed senior officials in the Department of the Environment in the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In a series of presentations, the EPA said the most likely source of radiation contamination would not be from continental Europe but rather one of the nuclear sites in the UK, especially Sellafield, which was described as the largest and most complex nuclear facility in the world.
The most significant threat to human health would be the ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs, such as milk, meat and other products from grazing animals, vegetables, fruits and cereals. Radiation would also contaminate water supplies, especially schemes that are dependent on rain water.
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“In Ireland, the key exposure pathway is through contamination of foodstuffs,” one of the presentations stated.
“Food controls and temporary agricultural protective actions may be required for a period of days to weeks following an accident.
“Without appropriate food controls, significant radiation doses could be incurred in the year following an accident through the consumption of contaminated foods.”
The documents were released to The Irish Times on foot of a Freedom of Information request.
A senior source in the previous government said the briefing was requested by Cabinet in the event of the war between Russia and Ukraine escalating.
The briefing referred to a separate paper published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) which stated that a nuclear emergency abroad could have a severe economic impact on Ireland, even without radioactive contamination.
“Where contamination occurs in Ireland, the losses are estimated at €4 billion,” said the report.
The briefing outlined how, in the emergency phase, the authorities would respond to control the situation and to mitigate consequences, to render first aid, manage the treatment of radiation injuries and to reduce the risk of stochastic effects (cancers).
Those measures involved sheltering in the first seven days as well as evacuation where radiation levels were high. In the longer term, some communities would have to be temporarily relocated and food controls would have to be introduced.
“EU Maximum Permitted Levels in food for sale would be introduced. The aim is to keep the total radiation dose from foodstuffs in the first year after the emergency to [a minimal level],” said the report.
Other protective actions referenced are iodine thyroid blockers for external gamma doses which have been inhaled.
The plan to respond to an event included placing grazing animals on protected feed and protecting drinking water supplies that directly use rainwater by disconnecting rainwater collection pipes and restricting consumption of non-essential local produce, milk from grazing animals, rainwater and animal feed.
In addition, restrictions would be considered on travel, commuting, working outdoors, consumption of drinking water, dairy products and other foodstuffs.
“Nuclear emergencies have caused adverse economic consequences. National and international customers need to be reassured that exports from the affected region are being carefully controlled to ensure that they are not contaminated,” Government officials were told.
“Economic consequences have occurred when the possibility of contamination of exports is mentioned, even though no major release occurred. Therefore, it is necessary for arrangements to be in place to ensure that all tradable goods meet international standards and to reassure the public and importing states of this.”
The briefing says that for agriculture, the worst period for an accident to occur would be in mid-May when the livestock are outdoors and uncontaminated animal feedstuffs are in short supply.
In contrast, in early February, the majority of livestock are still housed indoors with some uncontaminated animal feedstuffs available.
